PORT GAMBLE — The residents of the Kingdom of An Tir will welcome members of the modern world to their corner of the past this weekend, where virtue is upheld, kings and queens hold court and knights duel with grace.

These “residents” are members of the Society of Creative Anachronism, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating others on the Middle Ages (pre-17th century). In the SCA world, the region of the Kingdom called The Barony of Dragon’s Laire (which consists of Kitsap and part of North Mason counties) will host its 22nd annual Medieval Faire from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 5-6 in Port Gamble.

While SCA gatherings are usually restricted to members only, this annual event allows the public to get a glimpse into Medieval life.

“We try and recreate the Middle Ages as they should have been,” said event spokesperson Laura “Angharad Albanes” White, noting that members don’t consider the negative factors of the time, such as the bubonic plague.

For the Barony’s various members, she said, being a part of the SCA means different things.

“We really value things like honor and the true meaning of the word, not just pride,” White said.

Researching the arts and sciences of the time period is one aspect that draws people into the group. Others enjoy the fantasy factor, such as mingling with kings, queens and knights.

“We ended up creating our own little world,” White said. “It’s fun.”

And for two days only, the modern world gets a sneak peek into this chivalrous time period.

To get into the mood of the event, White recommends checking out the Gold Key booth, which allows festival goers to borrow period-appropriate clothing for their visit.

“For people who really want to blend in and be a part of fantasy for the day, it’s fun for them,” White said. “Before I joined the SCA, I would attend renaissance fairs. I always felt a little out of place because I wasn’t dressed up.”

New things for this year include the location of the merchants, who will be moved down by Port Gamble’s playground and tennis courts. However, the majority of the festival attractions will be on the hill, across from the town cemetery. This area will include the combative erics, arts and sciences pavilion, first aid (Chirgeon Pavilion), royal court (Bavonial Court), the Gold Key, a children’s activity area (Pied Piper) and the Viking camp (Glum Folk).

White said for the first time this year, the Viking encampment will be part of the main area, where medieval life demonstrations will be held.

“This particular group, they really try and be very period and authentic in what they do,” White said.

There will be two combative tournaments, rapier and armored combat for attendees to watch. Armored combatants use shields and swords while rapier combat is similar to fencing.

White said the queen will be attending this year, and the newly crowned prince and princess will be attending as well. The queen is expected to hold court at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Festival goers will also have a chance to find food very similar to the time period, including plenty of meats, root vegetables, stew and fresh bread.

White said her favorite part of the event is that the modern world gets to see what the group is about.

“We get to show the public what we do,” she said. “They see us at fight practice at Silverdale Park … and very often we get our most productive members as a result of this event. We meet them and they come and play with us, so it’s kind of a great way for meeting new people as well.”